Letter 3384

Tchaikovsky Research
Date 15/27 October 1887
Addressed to Otto Schneider
Where written Saint Petersburg
Language German
Autograph Location Washington (District of Columbia, USA): The Library of Congress, Music Division
Publication П. И. Чайковский. Полное собрание сочинений, том XIV (1974), p. 241

Text and Translation

German text
(original)
English translation
By Brett Langston
S[ankt] Petersbourg
15/27 October 1887

Hochgeehrter Herr Schneider

Aus Ihrem w[erten] Schreiben v[om] 21 d[iesen Oktobers], dass ich über Moskau erhielt, entnahm ich die freundliche Aufforderung nach Berlin zu kommen um in einem Concerte der Philharmonie als Dirigent meiner Werke mitzuwirken. Verbindlichst dankend nehme ich die ehrenvolle Aufforderung an und teile Ihnen mit, dass ich disponibel bin zwischen dem 1 u[nd] 15 Januar und den ganzen Februar (neuen Style). Wenn Sie wahrend dieser Zeit über mich verfügen wollen, so stehe ich gern zu Diensten.

Wenn Sie nun mir den Тag des Concertes, in dem ich mitwirken soll, bestimmen, so bitte ich das zeitig zu tun. Interessant wäre es mir Ihr Programm zu wissen, auch ob Solisten dabei sein werden und welche? Ob Pianisten u[nd] wer namentlich? Als Pianist wäre mir Ziloti angenehm.

Wenn ich Ihre Anzeige erhalte, dann werde Ihnen sofort mein Programm einschicken.

Ihre gesch[iedene] Antwort bitte ich zu adressieren nach S[ankt] Petersburg an die Musikhandlung von J. Jurgenson, Grosse Morskaja, 9.

Mit grösster Hochachtung ergebenst,

Peter Тschaikowsky

Saint Petersburg
15/27 October 1887

Highly respected Herr Schneider

From your precious letter of 21 October [1], which I received via Moscow, I gather that you have done me the courtesy of inviting me to Berlin in order to participate in a conductor in one of the Philharmonic concerts as a conductor of my own works. I accept your honourable invitation with sincere gratitude, and inform you that I am free between 1 and 15 January and throughout the whole of February (new style). Should you wish to have me at your disposal during these times, I should be happy to be at your service.

If you are now able to determine the date of the concert in which I am to take part, please inform me in good time [2]. It would be of interest for me to know your programme, and also which soloists will be there and in what capacity? If pianists, then who specifically? As a pianist, Ziloti would be agreeable to me.

Once I receive your notification, I shall immediately send you my programme.

Please address your definitive response to Saint Petersburg and the music store of J. Jurgenson, Bolshaya Morskaya, 9.

With sincere and utmost respect,

Peter Tchaikovsky

Notes and References

  1. Otto Schneider's letter to Tchaikovsky dated 9/21 October 1887 was written in German, which the composer had some difficulty deciphering.
  2. The Philharmonic concert was eventually scheduled for 27 January/8 February 1887, at which Tchaikovsky conducted his overture-fantasia Romeo and Juliet, the Piano Concerto No. 1 (soloist Aleksandr Ziloti), the Introduzione e fuga from his Suite No. 1, the Andante cantabile from his String Quartet No. 1, four songs (soloist Aline Friede), and the overture The Year 1812.